Something tells me that this is not a coincidence

First, a Russian journalist that had stridently criticized Vladmir Putin was recently mysteriously murdered in Moscow (hell yeah I can alliterate). She was one of a dozen reporters executed since Putin came to power. Then, a former KGB operative, also a vehement opponent to the Kremlin, was fatally poisoned with polonium in London. Today I see that a former Prime Minister and leader of the Russian opposition party was poisoned in Ireland, though he appears to be recovering. There are no real suspects in any of the recent incidents.

It sure looks to me like someone is rubbing out prominent critics of the current Russian leadership. So I asked my Magic Eight Ball if Putin, a former KGB man himself, was putting contracts out on his detractors. The Eight Ball says all signs point to yes. Scary…

A war cheerleader finally gets it

I am no fan of Fareed Zakaria. As editor of Newsweek International, Zakaria, perched high atop the Ivory Tower, was among the most vocal supporters of our misguided Iraqi adventure. As evidence of this, I offer you his piece from a few years ago titled “Bush’s Really Good Idea” from 2003. If you can stomach reading the whole thing three years hence, you are a stronger person than I.

In those three years, Zakaria and his ilk of pro-war types have mocked folks like me for thinking that Bush’s Really Good Idea was Really Bad. We were derided as wimps or demeaned as short-sighted or dismissed as being so blinded by our hatred for Bush that we could not see that the Really Good Idea was, in fact, Really Good.

As things in Iraq got worse, the pro-war voices got louder, declaring that cutting and running was not an option – the terrorists would win. So no matter what the consequences, we must stay the course. After all, the Really Good Idea was still Really Good.

Well, after three years of bloodshed and mayhem, it seems that the good Mr. Zakaria has had a come to Jesus moment on the war. Any objective assessment of Iraq demonstrably proves that the Really Good Idea was terribly, agonizingly Bad. In fact, the Really Good Idea, much like Iraq, has been blown to hell. As such, Zakaria seems to advocate a solution similar to Kissinger’s maneuvers that got us out of Vietnam - we declare victory and leave.

Dec. 4, 2006 issue - If you want to understand the futility of America's current situation in Iraq, last week provided a vivid microcosm. On Thursday, just hours before a series of car bombs killed more than 200 people in the Shia stronghold of Sadr City, Sunni militants attacked the Ministry of Health, which is run by one of Moqtada al-Sadr's followers. Within a couple of hours, American units arrived at the scene and chased off the attackers. The next day, Sadr's men began reprisals against Sunnis, firing RPGs at several mosques. When U.S. forces tried to stop the carnage and restore order, goons from Sadr's Mahdi Army began firing on American helicopters. In other words, one day the U.S. Army was defending Sadr's militia and, the next day, was attacked by it. We're in the middle of a civil war and are being shot at by both sides.

[Snip]

With a losing hand and deteriorating conditions on the ground, Kissinger maneuvered to extricate the United States from a situation in which it could not achieve its objectives, while at the same time limiting the damage, shoring up regional allies and maintaining some measure of American credibility. A version of such a strategy is the only one that has any chance of success in Iraq today.

Getting out, ladies and gentleman, is a Really Good Idea (even if Kissinger is involved) and I am glad that Zakaria is now on board. Not going at all, however, was an even better one.

Ah, the Onion…

On topics that are almost too depressing to contemplate, the Onion does it best work. Whether the issue at hand is evolution in the heartland or the Iraq war lasting longer than WWII, the good people at that fine publication can make me laugh at the absurdity.

The Supremes to weigh in on global warming

A good many states, cities, organizations, etc. have brought suit against the EPA in an effort to force the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles. This is the first case regarding global warming to reach the high court and as such, is a very significant milestone in the ongoing battle. If the court finds that the EPA can regulate auto emissions, the EPA can compel Detroit to manufacture greener, more efficient vehicles. I am not sure if, economically, that is a good thing but from an environmental point of view, it is a very good thing indeed.

The field narrows

Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee has dropped out of the Presidential race. I don't think he stood much of a chance in the inevitable Giuliani versus McCain showdown anyway. Unless a dark horse candidate emerges, the Republican Presidential primary is going to be a snoozefest.

Soul sister returns

Starpower is back!

My, how we have missed her...

President Pissy Pants throws a hissy fit

Oh my God, I love my new Senator (thanks to Josh Marshall at TPM).

President Bush has pledged to work with the new Democratic majorities in Congress, but he has already gotten off on the wrong foot with Jim Webb, whose surprise victory over Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) tipped the Senate to the Democrats.

Webb, a decorated former Marine officer, hammered Allen and Bush over the unpopular war in Iraq while wearing his son’s old combat boots on the campaign trail. It seems the president may have some lingering resentment.

At a private reception held at the White House with newly elected lawmakers shortly after the election, Bush asked Webb how his son, a Marine lance corporal serving in Iraq, was doing.

Webb responded that he really wanted to see his son brought back home, said a person who heard about the exchange from Webb.

“I didn’t ask you that, I asked how he’s doing,” Bush retorted, according to the source.

Webb confessed that he was so angered by this that he was tempted to slug the commander-in-chief, reported the source, but of course didn’t. It’s safe to say, however, that Bush and Webb won’t be taking any overseas trips together anytime soon.

Of course hitting the POTUS would have been really bad form but, oh my, does the man deserve it. If you are going to be President, then fucking act like it. Thicker skin should be a prerequisite. Webb’s son is fighting this war because he had to guts to suit up and get in the game, just like his dad and, I might add, George Senior. GWB, however, did not inherit that gene from his war hero father.

The least Bush could have done was express some gratitude for the Webb family’s sacrifice in service of their country and graciously backed away. Instead, he got all bitchy and what not. It says quite a lot about the measure of the man. But this incident also says a lot about Web as well. “Born Fighting” was not a slogan; the guy means business.

Reid lays down the agenda and the law

One of the greatest complaints about the recent Republican lead Congress has been to relative lack of work done. Aside from creating a seriously flawed Medicare drug plan and wrecking our fiscal affairs, the outgoing Congress has very little to show for its efforts. Harry Reid says he is going to correct that.

WASHINGTON - Ethics reform, a higher minimum wage and more money for stem cell research are the top items on the Senate agenda next year, incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press.
Reid said he will tackle those priorities after cleaning up the "financial mess" that the outgoing Republican leadership has left. He was referring to nine long overdue appropriations bills covering 13 Cabinet departments for the budget year that began Oct. 1.

[Snip]

Reid also said he's doing away with the "do-nothing Congress" that Democrats campaigned against this year as they ousted the Republican majority in both chambers of Congress. The Nevada Democrat, who is wrapping up his final days as Senate minority leader, will take control of the Senate agenda when the new Congress takes the oath of office in January.
"We're going to put in some hours here that haven't been put in in a long time," Reid said. That means "being here more days in the week and we start off this year with seven weeks without a break. That hasn't been done in many, many years here."

I love the top three priorities he has set out. Give ‘em hell, Harry, give ‘em hell.

When will reality set in

The cognitive dissonance coming for the Administration hit a high mark today. Bush’s stubborn insistence that the war is winnable, even at this late date, boggles the mind. It seems he can’t wrap his head around the fact that he and Rummy have bungled this enterprise from the start, rendering Iraq into a state of civil war. The situation is irredeemable or, at least, the Marines say so.

The U.S. military is no longer able to defeat a bloody insurgency in western Iraq or counter al-Qaeda's rising popularity there, according to newly disclosed details from a classified Marine Corps intelligence report that set off debate in recent months about the military's mission in Anbar province.

[Snip]

But the contents have not previously been made public. Read as a complete assessment, it paints a stark portrait of a failed province and of the country's Sunnis -- once dominant under Saddam Hussein -- now desperate, fearful and impoverished. They have been increasingly abandoned by religious and political leaders who have fled to neighboring countries, and other leaders have been assassinated. And unlike Iraq's Shiite majority, or Kurdish groups in the north, the Sunnis are without oil and other natural resources. The report notes that illicit oil trading is providing millions of dollars to al-Qaeda while "official profits appear to feed Shiite cronyism in Baghdad."

As a result, "the potential for economic revival appears to be nonexistent" in Anbar, the report says. The Iraqi government, dominated by Iranian-backed Shiites, has not paid salaries for Anbar officials and Iraqi forces stationed there. Anbar's resources and its ability to impose order are depicted as limited at best.

"Despite the success of the December elections, nearly all government institutions from the village to provincial levels have disintegrated or have been thoroughly corrupted and infiltrated by Al Qaeda in Iraq," or a smattering of other insurgent groups, the report says.

In summary, we have created a situation where Al Qaeda in Iraq is funding itself, the government is corrupt and shot through with insurgent and or terrorist sympathizers, and the province is in chaos. We lost. Time to leave.

Counter this stark reality with the bright and shiny thoughts floating through President Happy Talk’s head like so much freshly spun cotton candy.

RIGA, Latvia (AP) -- President Bush, under pressure to change direction in Iraq, said Tuesday he will not be persuaded by any calls to withdraw American troops before the country is stabilized.

"There's one thing I'm not going to do, I'm not going to pull our troops off the battlefield before the mission is complete," he said in a speech setting the stage for high-stakes meetings with the Iraqi prime minister later this week. "We can accept nothing less than victory for our children and our grandchildren."

[Snip]

"We'll continue to be flexible and we'll make the changes necessary to succeed," the president said.

Bush pushed back against skeptics of his goal of spreading freedom across the Middle East. "I understand these doubts but I do not share them," the president said.

So on the one hand, the military states we cannot win and on the other, Bush says we aren’t leaving until we prevail. We are going to pour more soldiers and money into this failed experiment until when...

Meanwhile, the Italians are pulling out and the Brits are giving it some serious consideration. They seem to understand the state of affairs in Iraq and are going to cut their losses. Bush, however, either does not get it or does not care.

I shudder to think about the damage this man can cause in the next two years.

It was a good weekend to be a Hokie

As a loyal citizen of Hokie Nation, the annual battle for the Commonwealth Cup between Virginia Tech and UVA takes on a certain life and death aspect. A loss to Virginia takes the luster off of any season, regardless of how well the team has done to that point. Thankfully, Tech whipped Virginia Saturday like a red haired stepchild as the defense pitched the shutout and the offense did enough not to lose. For those of you keeping score at home, Tech has won seven of the last eight contests. That, ladies and gents, is dominance – pure and simple.

As for our bowl prospects, most people think we are headed to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl against Tennessee or Georgia. I would love to take on either team because I hate the Vols and Lo can’t stand Georgia.

As an added bonus, West Virginia lost in Morgantown to USF. To quote Nelson Muntz, “ha ha”.

On another fun note, Tech won its tenth regular season game for the third year in a row; a feat matched by only Texas and USC.

Go Hokies!

Spam

I get hundreds of emails a day. I work in IT so email is the lifeblood of communication. But it can kill huge chunks of time. I probably spent a good half an hour a day just wading through the junk about Viagra, West African heirs willing to give me their cash, or hot stock tips from people that can’t even use Spellchecker. So while I think it is pretty disturbing that 9 out of 10 emails sent are spam, in no way do I find it surprising.

I love Thanksgiving

In my family, Thanksgiving is the big holiday. For years, everyone on my mother’s side has been gathering at my aunt G. and uncle B.’s house in Richmond for Turkey Day. I am talking 30 plus people. The whole show has been coordinated by our family’s matriarchy, simply referred to as the Sisters – my aunts A., K., G. and my mother. Four strong willed Southern women working in one kitchen for a command culinary performance is truly something to behold (preferably from a safe distance). Do as you are told and you will survive unscathed. Fuck around with them and you will be destroyed. This is their gig and “dammit, it is hard enough serving all of these people without you kids hanging out in the kitchen. Now go set the table!” or something like that…

They have a point. Cooking a turkey for that many folks requires a huge bird. At 20 minutes a pound, it sometimes takes 10 hours in the oven plus another hour of rest before the Butterball is ready. That means someone, usually aunt A., is up at 3 in the morning firing up the oven. Successfully putting on a full Thanksgiving meal for that many people, all at one sitting, demands everyone doing at least one assigned task in the kitchen and then getting the hell out of the there. That is part of the fun though. We get to work together, we know our role in the production, and we get to eat well. And every year, the dinner comes off without a hitch. Why? We have been doing this for so long that we have an established routine from which we SHALL NOT DEVIATE. This is sort of how things go…

One is to arrive no later than 10:30 the morning of and one must have their requested food item at the required state of readiness. For Lo and I, that is the relish tray so it is pretty easy. Fresh veggies, dip, hummus (our new contribution), pickles, etc. Upon arrival, we set up the platter and the snacking begins. If you have not had a Bloody Mary at this point, the drinking begins. If you have had one, now is the time for another.

For the next 2 hours or so, we stand around, eating, drinking, talking, and cooking. The potatoes are mashed, the stuffing is baked (one oyster and the other is hyman and sausage – hmmm good). When the bird finishes resting, my cousin W. carves her up. The job had belonged to uncle B, W.’s late father but has, like a seat at the big table, been passed down. Anyone caught stealing a piece of meat or a bit of skin by uncle B. usually received a swift whack on the back of the hand with the carving fork. Thankfully, cousin W. has somewhat relaxed the prohibition on sneaking a taste before the seating. If everything is on schedule, we all sit down at about 1:30 at two long tables and the gorgefest begins.

There is a perceptible flow to the noise level when we eat. At first, everyone is talking, telling stories, asking for the gravy and so forth. As people start digging in, a weird hush falls over the room and all you hear is the clacking of silverware on the plates and the glug of wine into glasses. It starts getting loud again as seconds are passed; then another lull until dessert and coffee are served. After dessert, things are pretty quiet again, usually because we are too stuffed to muster the energy to talk over each other.

Dinner takes about an hour. We get a few minutes to digest and Lo and I head for the kitchen to clean up the mess. The job fell to me several years earlier when aunt G. got super pissed at the family because no one would help her straighten up after dinner without bitching about it first. So I took up the mantle – hey, that’s the kind of guy I am. Plus, aunt G. loves Lo and I for it so it is a small price to pay. While we clean, the crowd filters out to the backyard for the annual football game as well as our family sing-along where cousin K. plays old folk tunes about unions, sailors, miners, and such. It is a cherished if a bit hokey tradition, but the sing-along provides a vital segue to another element of my family’s Thanksgiving Day ritual– the hazing of the first timers.

If this is you first time attending our Thanksgiving, whether through invitation or you marry in or whatever, you are required to provide some form of entertainment. I am not kidding. We have had people do cartwheels, sing solo a cappella, or read a limerick (often of the dirty variety) from a book we keep on hand for the occasion. Participation is not optional and you will be hounded into performing. As I said earlier, the Sisters are formidable and will not be denied. Once the newbies have met their obligation, the schedule of events is complete.

From there, we spend the afternoon free form - watching football, chatting, etc. until we say our goodbyes and head home, happy, full and looking forward to doing it all over again next year.

The funnies (and the not so funnies)

Tom Tomorrow on a solution to Iraq.
Doonesbury on supporting the troops.
Dilbert on respecting your co-workers.
Schorr on Poppy's friends stepping in.
Luckovich on the revolting and now cancelled O.J media blitz.

Special indeed

Keith Olbermann’s “Special Comment” segments are quickly becoming legendary in the news business. His eloquent rants delivered with just barely contained fury are quite simply the best television news to be had. And oh my God, Keith killed it last night, laying into Bush for his stupid “we will win unless we quit” quip regardingIraq on his visit to Vietnam. The sheer irony of that statement, given the location, should have killed him on the spot but I digress. Take about 6 minutes and listen to what it sounds like to have an adversarial press. I have excerpted just a bit but you owe it to yourself to hear the whole thing (thanks to Crooks and Liars).

Asked if there were lessons about Iraq to be found in our experience in Vietnam, Mr. Bush said that there were — and he immediately proved he had no clue what they were.

"One lesson is," he said, "that we tend to want there to be instant success in the world, and the task in Iraq is going to take a while."

"We'll succeed," the President concluded, "unless we quit."

If that's the lesson about Iraq that Mr. Bush sees in Vietnam, then he needs a tutor. Or we need somebody else making the decisions about Iraq.

Mr. Bush, there are a dozen central lessons to be derived from our nightmare in Vietnam, but "we'll succeed unless we quit" is not one of them.

The primary one — which should be as obvious to you as the latest opinion poll showing that only 31 percent of this country agrees with your tragic Iraq policy– is that if you try to pursue a war for which the nation has lost its stomach, you and it are finished. Ask Lyndon Johnson.

The second most important lesson of Vietnam, Mr. Bush: if you don't have a stable local
government to work with, you can keep sending in Americans until hell freezes over and it will not matter. Ask South Vietnam's President Diem, or President Thieu.

The third vital lesson of Vietnam, Mr. Bush: don't pretend it's something it's not. For decades we were warned that if we didn't stop "communist aggression" in Vietnam, communist agitators would infiltrate and devour the small nations of the world, and make their insidious way, stealthily, to our doorstep.

The war machine of 1968 had this "Domino Theory."

Your war machine of 2006 has this nonsense about Iraq as "the central front in the war on terror."

The fourth pivotal lesson of Vietnam, Mr. Bush: if the same idiots who told Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon to stay there for the sake of "Peace With Honor," are now telling you to stay in Iraq, they're probably just as wrong now, as they were then… Dr. Kissinger.

And the fifth crucial lesson of Vietnam, Mr. Bush, which somebody should've told you about, long before you plunged this country into Iraq — is that, if you lie us into a war — your war, and your presidency, will be consigned to the scrapheap of history.

If we had more journalists like Olbermann, willing to speak truth to power, Iraq would never have happened.

Resurgent populism

One of the trends I think is beginning to reemerge in American politics is populism. Webster’s defines populism as a political philosophy supporting the rights and power of the people in their struggle against the privileged elite. In the modern United States, that privileged elite has bought the majority of legislators through campaign contributions and tilted the playing field overwhelmingly in their favor. How on God’s green Earth do we get a cut in the Capital Gains Tax and the Estate Tax, but cannot get a minimum wage hike for a decade? Because that is exactly what the bastards who pay the bills and pull the strings wanted. This is what class warfare looks like and the backlash against it is building.

Like all powerful ideas, populism has been used to propel some policies that would never work in post-60’s America. Indeed, populist themes get co-opted into some fairly nationalistic/jingoistic and or religious fundamentalist rhetoric, resulting in some pretty awful things (Europe and the Middle East – I am looking at you). Nazism, Apartheid, and some Theocratic regimes have employed certain aspects of the “power to the people” premise as a means to push forward other radical agendas that would never pass Constitutional muster here. On the economic front, populism has wrought much on the foundation of the welfare state. Scandinavian Socialist welfare states are thoroughly wedded to the idea that government should function primarily to provide for society as a whole and, as such, tax at rates that make American conservative positively brim with fury. While Socialism may work for Sweden, I doubt we will see anything like that in the USA.

But in our current political environment, economic populism, especially in the US Senate, is on the rise. The election has sent four new members, Democrats all, that are true believers in the idea that government should be used to protect the average guy from forces much more powerful than the individual. John Tester of Montana, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Bernie Sander of Vermont, and the Commonwealth’s own Jim Webb are all adherents to this notion. These men will give voice to the average folks that have been so poorly served by their elected representatives. In an era where American’s haves are running roughshod over the have-nots, we now have a cadre of people that have promised to work for us. Read Webb’s recent piece in the Wall Street Journal for a preview of what this may mean for all of us.

The most important--and unfortunately the least debated--issue in politics today is our society's steady drift toward a class-based system, the likes of which we have not seen since the 19th century. America's top tier has grown infinitely richer and more removed over the past 25 years. It is not unfair to say that they are literally living in a different country. Few among them send their children to public schools; fewer still send their loved ones to fight our wars. They own most of our stocks, making the stock market an unreliable indicator of the economic health of working people. The top 1% now takes in an astounding 16% of national income, up from 8% in 1980. The tax codes protect them, just as they protect corporate America, through a vast system of loopholes.

[Snip]

This ever-widening divide is too often ignored or downplayed by its beneficiaries. A sense of entitlement has set in among elites, bordering on hubris. When I raised this issue with corporate leaders during the recent political campaign, I was met repeatedly with denials, and, from some, an overt lack of concern for those who are falling behind. A troubling arrogance is in the air among the nation's most fortunate. Some shrug off large-scale economic and social dislocations as the inevitable byproducts of the "rough road of capitalism." Others claim that it's the fault of the worker or the public education system, that the average American is simply not up to the international challenge, that our education system fails us, or that our workers have become spoiled by old notions of corporate paternalism.

[Snip]

With this new Congress, and heading into an important presidential election in 2008, American workers have a chance to be heard in ways that have eluded them for more than a decade. Nothing is more important for the health of our society than to grant them the validity of their concerns. And our government leaders have no greater duty than to confront the growing unfairness in this age of globalization.

This is what the new populist movement is fighting for. It is a fight to save the average American worker from getting screwed even further by a system that has been rigged against them. It is a fight against the corporate dominance of our society that has marginalized the worker’s contributions. And finally, it is a fight to reconstitute a certain fairness in a nation that once believed in egalitarianism rather than just paid lip service to it. Here’s to hoping that the movement wins.

Silly

Ah, California.

SAN FRANCISCO - Two peace activists have planned a massive anti-war demonstration for the first day of winter.

But they don't want you marching in the streets. They'd much rather you just stay home.

The Global Orgasm for Peace was conceived by Donna Sheehan, 76, and Paul Reffell, 55, whose immodest goal is for everyone in the world to have an orgasm Dec. 22 while focusing on world peace.

This kind of thing that makes the whole anti-war crowd seem like a bunch of hippie weirdos. I guess that the goal here is noble but seriously, how many people are going to think about world peace while climaxing? Wouldn’t that just sort of kill the mood?

Aside from that, this is just stupid, silly, and utterly meaningless. Why not try to have everyone in world have pancakes for breakfast on December 22. Or how about Backwards Day for world peace?

Back from the dead

For the life of me, I cannot understand why the Senate GOP has returned Trent Lott to a leadership position. The guy was summarily stripped of the Majority leader job because he lamented the loss of Strom Thurmond’s Dixiecrat run for the Presidency. By all rights, his leadership career was OVER. That was a mere two years ago. Did Lott go through some re-education program that enlightened his views on issues of race or perform some act of redemption that I am unaware of?

I guess after getting their asses handed to them in the election, the GOP is saying "fuck it – we are never going to get the African-American vote so why even bother". Whoever is in charge of Republican minority outreach now has the most Sisyphean job in politics.

Laughter is the best medicine

Joe’s wife here. Something embarrassing happened to me at work yesterday. People who know me would say it’s the sort of thing that would only happen to me. And I’m going to tell you all about it.

First, a little about where I work: We are a small firm of about 25 people and we’re pretty tight. In fact, I adore most of the people I work with. They’re the kind of people that will surprise you with a trinket that they found while shopping just because it made them think of you. When your 800-year old pug dies they’re there with hugs and kind words, even if they’re really just making it worse. Our janitor, we’ll call him “Jay”, is even one of the family.

One particularly fabulous person is a lady I will call “Dolly”. Dolly is one of those extremely devout people who, at the same time, manages to not be a bible-thumper. She is a true believer and, unlike much of what you hear about on the news today, she really walks the walk. She is a sweet and kind lady who would do anything for you. She is completely non-judgmental and despite her faith, wears black leather mini skirts (not that I think there’s anything in the Bible that says you can’t wear black leather mini skirts). I really like Dolly.

So, yesterday, about mid-morning Dolly approaches me with a smirk on her face. “There is a pair of panties on the back of one of the toilet seats,” she whispers. “HeeHee,” I begin to chuckle. Then I realize: in all likelihood, they are my panties. Why, you ask, would I be taking my drawers off in my work bathroom? Well I’ll tell you. The previous day I was in a very long meeting that lasted right up until 5:00. In my rush to change clothes and get to my yoga class on time, the panties seemed to have escaped from my bag, along with a necklace and pair of earrings. I found out about the necklace and earrings a little later in the day when our office manager sent out an email letting the ladies know of her findings. Apparently, when good ole Jay was cleaning the office the previous evening, he was the lucky devil that found my unmentionables. He put the jewelry on my office manager’s desk. The panties he left on the floor and just cleaned around them.

As someone dealing with an anxiety disorder I tend to dwell on the past and live in fear of the future. When I think back on embarrassing situations in my life (and there have been many), it can feel like a punch in the gut. It doesn’t matter if it happened 15 years ago, I relive it over and over again. That’s why the fact that I didn’t crawl under my desk when I realized that they were my panties on the floor is a big deal. When the news made it around to the men in the office I didn’t get all blushy or try to deny it. Instead I laughed. I laughed long and I laughed hard. I told people that, yes, they were my panties and I laughed some more. In fact, I’m still laughing about it today. The picture in my head of Jay mopping the floor AROUND the panties just kills me. Although I was definitely a little embarrassed, who cares? It felt good to be able to laugh at myself rather than beat myself up about it for hours, days, months...You get the picture. For me that’s progress. And, anyway, it’s not like it was a pair of black lacy thongs. They were a pair of nice, cotton briefs. Good ole American underwear.

Now, the fact that I literally fell on my face two times in that yoga class I was in such a hurry to get to, well, that’s another story.

But sometimes laughter really is the best medicine. Sometimes it’s therapy.

Rudy enters the ring

So Rudi Giuliani wants to be President. I don’t have really strong feelings one way or the other about Rudy the politician. He helped clean up New York though the lion’s share of the acclain goes to Police Commissioner William Bratton. On the downside of this cleanup, however, was a nasty string of brutalities (Diallo, Louimia, et al.) by the NYPD. His performance on 9/11 and thereafter drew him considerable praise, though I have no idea what he did to earn it besides taking the “this is New York and we are tough enough to get through this” line. This is not meant to belittle his record; I just don’t know enough to judge one way or the other. But I do know that his resolute demeanor in the hours and days following the attack stood in stark relief to Bush. That may not be a fair comparison though, being that El Presidente went into hiding for a couple of days. Maybe Giuliani is up to the task; I have no idea.

I do have some strong feelings for Rudy the man. Frankly, the guy is a dick. He was pals with Bernard Kerik, a cop so crooked he used an apartment overlooking Ground Zero, designated for tired firefighters and cops, to fuck his mistress. Class. As soon as Kerik’s ethical problems came to light, he was dumped liked day old bread. When New Yorkers gave Bratton more credit than Giuliani for reducing crime in the city, Rudy canned his ass. And my personal favorite, he took his girlfriend to the New York Mother’s Day Parade, while he was getting his second divorce. The man is vindictive, imperious, preening, and self-absorbed.

What I find amazing in all of this is Rudy must think he can win the nomination. Call me crazy but I think the chances are slim that today’s moralizing, “family values” Republican party is going to give the nod to a Catholic, twice divorced, pro-choice, pro-gay rights, philandering, and at times, cross-dressing former New York City mayor. That will not play in the Bible Belt - Rudy is kidding himself.

Interesting

Margaret Edds has a really interesting piece in the Pilot today about Virginia politics and the “Byrd” US Senate seat soon to be occupied by James Webb. Harry Byrd Sr. and Jr. owned that seat for over 50 years but it has since seen a series of one or two term guys that never really left a mark. Edds asks whether Webb will be another.

Strategery

Most of the exit polling from the election shows that the biggest issue for voters was Iraq and the direction (or lack thereof) of the war effort. People think we are losing and America does not like losers; plain and simple. If the President had done something concrete to alter course, say firing Rumsfeld before the election, I bet the Senate and maybe the House could have been retained by the Republicans. But Bush decided against that action. Instead, he lied about his intentions to keep Rummy around, and in doing so, cost his party at least one house of Congress.

Dumb.

FWIW - my election prediction of 28 pickups in the House and 5 in the Senate was pretty damn good. As of today, the Dems are up 29 in the House (with a few still outstanding) and 6 in the Senate.

More fun with YouTube

I had no idea that cheerleading is a contact sport...

Rock and Roll lifestyle or wicked chemical dependency?

Guns N’ Roses has pulled out of a show in Portland because they were prohibited by law from drinking onstage. Their excuse will stand as a monument of bullshit to which others can aspire.

LEWISTON, Maine - Guns N' Roses canceled a performance in Portland, Maine this week after being told by state officials that the band could not drink on stage.

Inspectors from the state fire marshal's office gave the band the no-drinking order when they came to look over the pyrotechnics planned for Monday's scheduled concert at the Cumberland County Civic Center, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Public Safety Department.

McCausland said the band had wanted to drink beer, wine and Jagermeister while performing. A couple of hours after being told that would violate state law, Guns N' Roses canceled its concert, he said.

After the cancellation, a band spokesperson blamed fire marshals for "making it impossible for the band to perform their show to the usual high standards that their fans deserve." The press release, however, did not give a specific reason for the pullout.

Call me crazy but I think “high standards” and alcohol consumption are usually mutually exclusive terms. Tell me how high the standards are when someone is horny, it is two in the morning and the bar is closing. From my experience, the only thing about a person that improves with Jagermeister is the distance achieved while projectile vomiting.

Anyway, it is probably safe to start the countdown clock for Axl's inevitable journey to rehab.

I don’t want live in a world where these two can’t make it

So Brittany Spears and Kevin Federline are calling it quits. For the life of me, I can imagine why it didn’t work out. She seems so mature and responsible; he just oozes respectability. Who knows? I just hope they can end this amicably…

BTW – Spears notified K-Fed via text message that she filed for divorce. Bitchiest thing I have heard of in ages. Why not just wrap a Dear John letter in a brick and throw it through his windshield?

Allen concedes

And the Commonwealth is better for it.

Two words I never want to read again

Scorched colon - Ouch…

Snowball’s chance in Hell

Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa has announced that he is running for President in ’08. The AP story characterized his bid as a long-shot. Um, that is really understating the case. He has some real obstacles in his way. First, Hillary. Second, he is a milquetoast. Lastly, next to this guy, John Kerry seems dynamic and charismatic.

I guess he thinks that if he wins the first in the nation Iowa Caucus, he can garner enough momentum and name recognition to do well in New Hampshire and South Carolina. But make no mistake; Vilsack has about as much chance of winning the Democratic nomination as Michael Jackson being licensed to run a day care. Not gonna happen.

Done

It is now official. Webb carried Virginia and Allen will not be able to find the votes to overtake on recount. That makes 51 in the Senate and stalls the wingnut dream of remaking the federal judiciary into Antonin Scalia’s image for at least two years. The Left now controls the legislative agenda. Bush is a lame duck.

And, my fellow Virginians did their duty and fired George Allen. Excellent…

Ha ha...

Today just got better

CNN is reporting that Rumsfeld will step down.

Adios motherfucker. See you on the witness stand...

Tester wins

Montana has officially gone blue. Dems have 50 in the Senate with only Virginia left.

Pitched the shutout

The Republicans won exactly zero pickups in the House, Senate, or Governorships.

In a word - awesome... BTW - does this mean that Karl Rove is no longer a genius?

Changing the game

For the first time in 12 years, the Democrats control the House and I am confident Montana and Virginia will bring home the Senate. Newt Gingrich’s Republican Revolution is, at long last, dead. The radical neo-conservative agenda will be consigned to the scrapheap of history; relegated to the ranks of other disastrous grand plans like Communism, the Maginot Line, and invading Russia during the winter.

We won. Let’s act like it. Let loose Henry Waxman and the power of the subpoena. We need to investigate Katrina, Iraq, our bankrupt energy policy, the no bid contracts, torture, etc. The Administration must be called to account for its recklessness and corruption. It is time for payback.

Bush’s reign is over. Armageddon is at hand.

So close

As of 10:00 AM, Webb is up by just under 8000; Tester up by a little under 2000.

Sean Hannity must be close to suicide by now.

And the results roll in

12:53 - I am drunk and going to bed. Good night for the home team, could be better yet. The Mountain West and West Coast are still out. That is where we put the nail in the coffin. So go Montana and Mizzou. Go with God folks, go with God.

12:51 - Let me add that it is going to be ugly in Virginia. Ladies and gentlemen, start your lawyers.

12:46 - Let the recounts begin!

12:35 - HOLY SHIT - Allen is conceding and not conceding. Webb has won. HOLY SHIT - prepare for the recount. HOLY SHIT - we are going to bring this home. The Commonwealth has done it's work.

12:06 - CNN and MSNBC are reporting Webb wins. WOOOOOHOOOOOO. Are you kidding me? Still waiting for the official state numbers...

11:56 - Under 2000 in VA for Webb. I don't want to jinx this but Webb is closing STRONG.

11:45 - Webb is down by just over 3000 with 98% reporting. This is going to be REALLY, REALLY close. Pray now.

11:43 - Question #1 passes. God, I hate this.

11:32 - Webb closes to less than 5000 votes. More whisky.

11:23 - Webb closes to less than 8000 again. This race is going to kill me.

11:18 - CNN calls the House (so far) for the good guys. Lots of seats left. Webb down by 12,000. Oy...

11:04 - Kolbe, Shaw, Sodrel, and Sweeney lose. Dem pick up four more and we have one to go. The House is starting to go our way.

11:01 - Ten votes on the House side - five to go.

11:00 - Officialy drunk now. 14,000 votes down in VA. Sad but hopeful yet.

10:54 - The Foley seat falls to the Dems as well as Don Sherwood's. Down to six in the House,

10:49 - Shuler wins in NC. Seventh D win - eight more to go.

10:44 - Webb down by 8000. Come on Virginia - deliver...

10:27 - VA is looking really bad but if the turnout numbers are right, lots of vote left to count.

9:58 - no idea who just reported in but the state reg shows Webb down by 25,000. WTF?

9:53 - Webb down by 2500. This is going to be crazy close. Go Jim and more whisky.

9:45 - Allen by less than 6000. Crist wins Florida. Not a big surprise.

9:45 - If Matthews keeps cutting off Olbermann, Keith is going to hit him.

9:33 - One more in the House - twelve left. Webb down by 9000. This is going to come down to Loudoun, Fairfax, Richmond, and Hampton Roads. More whisky.

9:27 - CNN just gave Rhode Island to Whitehouse. Dems get another. 3 to go. Webb down by 12,000 votes. Time for whisky.

9:24 - Two pickups in the House so far - thirteen to go.

9:20 - CNN calls Maryland for Cardin. No R pickups in the Senate this year.

9:14 - Lieberman wins with 26% of the Democratic vote. Ugh...

8:59 - Scarborough just had a hissy fit on MSNBC. Chris Matthews mocked Joe for it. Afterward, Scarborough looked like his head was going to explode.

8:54 - Rick Santorum is gone. Dems take the PA seat. Two down and four to go.

8:49 - Webb down by 25,000 very little of NoVa (none of Fairfax) and less than half of Richmond or Tidewater reporting. Looking good so far.

8:40 - CNN says Menendez holds Jersey and MSNBC declares that Brown takes Ohio.

Katherine Harris loses

Ha.

Good riddance.

Joe thinks the magic numbers are 5 and 28

Not that it is worth a damn thing but here are my predictions for today.

In the Senate:
I think we pick up seats in Virginia, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Montana. We hold New Jersey and lose Tennessee. In total, the Democrats gain a net 5 seats to make the Senate 50-50 but the Republicans hold.

In the House:
I think we net 28 new seats and take control. While some people were predicting a landslide, I doubt it will happen. But if it does, we will know by a little after 8 PM. If the Dems are up by a net 10+ seats at that time, we are going to have an excellent night.

In my house:
I will crack my first beer no later than 6:30 PM. If things look good for Webb when Virginia polls close at 7, I will celebrate with a shot of whisky. If it looks like Allen pulls this out, I will have two. If the national trends hold and the Democrats have the good night I predicted, I will be drunk by 11 (just in time for the West Coast returns). If it seems we are going to come up short, I will be shitfaced by 9:15.

Voter suppression and problems at the polls

MSNBC is reporting that the FBI is investigating possible voter suppression efforts in Virginia. Yes folks, the Republicans are fighting dirty. Once you recover from that shocking revelation, read on.

In the Washington, D.C., area, NBC affiliate News4 reported on its Web site that it had received e-mail from a viewer in Virginia who said he received a phone call from so-called volunteers threatening voters with arrest if they cast ballots.

News4 reported: “The viewer's e-mail stated after he had voted, he received a call from an unknown caller who said they knew the voter was registered out of state and would be arrested if they voted today. The viewer's e-mail stated he's been registered to vote in Virginia for the last three years and has the Virginia Voter Registration card to prove it.”

The Webb campaign also said other voters are getting calls telling them their polling location has changed.

There are also allegations that fliers that say, "Skip This Election," are blanketing African-American communities, News4 reported.

In other equally surprising news, Florida and Ohio are having troubles (again) at the polls.

Meanwhile, programming errors and inexperience with electronic voting machines frustrated poll workers in hundreds of precincts early Tuesday, delaying voters in Indiana and Ohio and leaving some in Florida with little choice but use paper ballots instead.

WTF? Florida, of all places, should have their shit together by now. This is just inexcusable. I pray that the Democrats make campaign and election reform a top priority in the next Congress. Seriously, America put a man on the god damn moon, yet we cannot put together an accurate, consistent, and transparent voting process? Give me fucking a break…

A day almost like any other

This morning, I woke, showered, and dressed just like any other day. As usual, L. and I got the dog fed and Baby J. ready for daycare. As I did the day before, I loaded up the car with the kid and my stuff and headed off to work.

But today, instead of heading directly to daycare, I stopped and voted to overthrow the government.

Go vote – elections are the only time that your elected representatives are forced, by law, to actually listen to you. Let your voice be heard now because tomorrow will be a day just like any other.

Molly Ivins issues a call to arms

Fire away, madame. Fire away...

May I remind you what this election is about? Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, unprecedented presidential powers, unmatched incompetence, unparalleled corruption, unwarranted eavesdropping, Katrina, Enron, Halliburton, global warming, Cheney's secret energy task force, record oil company profits, $3 gasoline, FEMA, the Supreme Court, Diebold, Florida in 2000, Ohio in 2004, Terri Schiavo, stem cell research, golden parachutes, shrunken pensions, unavailable and expensive health care, habeas corpus, no weapons of mass destruction, sacrificed soldiers and Iraqi civilians, wasted billions, Taliban resurgence, expiration of the assault weapons ban, North Korea, Iran, intelligent design, swift boat hit squads, and on and on.

This election is about that, but much more -- it's about honor, dignity and comity in this country. It's about the Constitution, which gives us this great nation.

Bush ran on a pledge of "restoring honor and integrity" to the White House. Instead, he brought us Tom DeLay, Roy Blunt, Katherine Harris, John Doolittle, Jerry Lewis, Richard Pombo, Mark Foley, Dennis Hastert, David Safavian, Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed, Karl Rove and an illegal and immoral war in Iraq. People, it's up to you.

Vote No on Ballot Question #1

Tomorrow, Virginia voters get an opportunity to put down a measure that would add a ban on gay marriage to the Commonwealth’s Constitution. I hope like hell the electorate takes it. The amendment as written is a horrible piece of legislation, ensconcing state-sponsored bigotry into our Constitution while potentially outlawing all sorts of legal contracts between unmarried citizens. This really is an awful, mean-spirited attempt to devalue the rights of a narrow group of citizens based on sexual preference and smacks of some of the distasteful and racist anti-miscengation laws of the Jim Crow South (see Loving v. Virginia) that belatedly, yet thankfully, were struck down by the Supreme Court.

Indeed, in the Jim Crow South, the first step to ending such long held but misguided attitudes towards race was to remove the laws that enabled states to legally subjugate, segregate, disenfranchise, or otherwise restrict a citizen’s rights based on skin color. By integrating schools, outlawing poll taxes, and broadly guaranteeing civil rights for everyone, society began to stigmatize racism as anti-social and unacceptable. Tomorrow, we get a rare and fleeting chance to ensure that all citizens of the Commonwealth stand equally before the law, to dispel the notion of social justice is some quaint relic from a bygone era, and to take a stand for what is decent and right in a time when we are being asked to sacrifice decency and righteousness for some false sense of security.

So please, if you are planning to vote tomorrow, reject Question #1 and repudiate the narrow-mind idea that some citizens, for reasons arbitrary and ill-conceived, are deserving of second class citizenship. Let us reaffirm the wisdom and high minded ideals put forth by Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and patron saint of Virginia:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

God Bless the Simpsons

If you didn’t watch the Simpsons last night, shame on you. It was the annual Treehouse of Horror episode and, as usual, it was funny as hell. Especially the final minute from the last vignette in which the space aliens Kang and Kodos argue about an ongoing war they started in Springfield. Classic.

Atrios has posted the YouTube clip. Below that, he cribs a piece from Krugman’s latest; definitely worth reading as well.

Hard bruising truth

In a joint editorial on Monday, all four military service papers are demanding that Donald Rumsfeld resign. The piece is absolutely scathing. Given the state of affairs in Iraq and Afghanistan, any sane President would have dumped the Secretary quite some time ago. From the article:

Rumsfeld has lost credibility with the uniformed leadership, with the troops, with Congress and with the public at large. His strategy has failed, and his ability to lead is compromised. And although the blame for our failures in Iraq rests with the secretary, it will be the troops who bear its brunt.

This is not about the midterm elections. Regardless of which party wins Nov. 7, the time has come, Mr. President, to face the hard bruising truth:

Donald Rumsfeld must go.

This comes at an especially bad time for Bush; the day before an election in which the GOP is not going to fair well. And this past week, our boy George reiterated his support for Rummy and emphasized his desire to have him stay on for the duration of his term. It is hard to see how Rumsfeld survives this except for the fact that Bush is the most stubborn and arrogant man to ever occupy the Oval Office. So Bush will undoubtedly stay the course with Rumsfeld and as the article says, it will be the troops that bear the burden of the President’s intransigence.

Picking your poison

So Pastor Ted Haggard got a massage and bought some meth – at least that is his story. Oh, and he also did actually use the drugs. What complete nonsense. Does anyone buy that? I guess he could not bring himself to admit the whole thing and had to cop to at least buying because of the voicemails. Denial is a powerful thing.

And if the voicemails are for real, and by Haggard’s admission that he bought drugs they seem to be, his explanation is provably bullshit. In the transcript below he asks to get more.

"Hi Mike, this is Art. Hey, I was just calling to see if we could get any more. Either $100 or $200 supply. And I could pick it up really anytime I could get it tomorrow or we could wait till next week sometime and so I also wanted to get your address. I could send you some money for inventory but that's probably not working, so if you have it then go ahead and get what you can and I may buzz up there later today, but I doubt your schedule would allow that unless you have some in the house. Okay, I'll check in with you later. Thanks a lot, bye."

As unlikely as it is that this guy would do crystal, I find it even more unlikely that he was in the habit of buying a stash and then tossing it. He is a liar and a hypocrite...

Big trouble

A new report on fisheries found that world seafood stocks are declining so rapidly that a collapse could occur by 2050.

WASHINGTON - Clambakes, crabcakes, swordfish steaks and even humble fish sticks could be little more than a fond memory in a few decades. If current trends of overfishing and pollution continue, the populations of just about all seafood face collapse by 2048, a team of ecologists and economists warns in a report in Friday's issue of the journal Science.

"Whether we looked at tide pools or studies over the entire world's ocean, we saw the same picture emerging. In losing species we lose the productivity and stability of entire ecosystems," said the lead author Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

"I was shocked and disturbed by how consistent these trends are — beyond anything we suspected," Worm said.

This is something that watermen on the Chesapeake Bay have seen with regard to menhaden and sport fish, as well as oysters, crabs, and sea grass. Menhaden are small filter-feeding fish that run in huge schools. While inedible to us, they are a primary food source for many sport fish and sea birds. In the Chesapeake Bay, they support our beloved striped bass (we call them rockfish). As pollution and overfishing has dramatically reduced the schools of menhaden in the Bay, the number of rockfish has also declined. Some recent studies have concluded that the entire Bay menhaden population could be wiped out by overfishing in the next five years.

Another relationship that supports the study’s findings exists between sea grasses in the Bay and their effect on oyster and crab populations. The Bay was once famous for the abundance of shellfish it produced. But bad fishery management and pollution, mostly fertilizer and farm runoff, have conspired to severely restrict the Bay’s yield. When nitrogen rich water feeds into the estuary, it sparks the growth of huge algae blooms. The blooms, in turn, suck all of the oxygen out of large swathes of the Chesapeake, producing “dead zones”. Without enough oxygen in the water, sea grasses, home to many a Blue crab, and oysters (they can’t just swim away) perish. Oysters, like menhaden, are critical to the Bay’s health because they help filter out bacteria and other particles that cloud or pollute water. Dirtier water means less sunlight can reach the seafloor and that, in turn, means fewer areas can grow sea grasses. As populations dwindle, they become more susceptible to disease and the cycle begins to feed on itself.

If the recent history of the Chesapeake Bay is a microcosm for the world’s fisheries, we are going to be in serious trouble.

I think this guy's credibility will take a hit

Holy (no pun intended) Cow!

Ted Haggard, one of the most influential evangelical leaders in the nation, has been accused of having a long term sexual relationship with a male prostitute as well as using methamphetamines. Again, wow. This guy is President of the National Association of Evangelicals. He is a seriously heavy hitter not quite on par with Falwell or Robertson, but pretty close none the less.

(hat tip to AmericaBlog)

It is the General’s fault

Rep. John Boehner went on Blitzer’s show yesterday and stated that we should not blame Rumsfeld for the chaos in Iraq because it was the Generals that are in charge. The sheer chutzpah of Boehner’s comments seemed to catch Wolf off guard for a moment. The blank, wide-eyed expression on the Beard’s face plainly screamed “what the hell are you talking about”…

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Majority Leader John Boehner's call for critics to lay off Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld because the generals are responsible for the conduct of the war in Iraq has sparked outrage among Democrats.

In an interview Wednesday on CNN, Boehner said, "Let's not blame what's happening in Iraq on Rumsfeld."

CNN's Wolf Blitzer replied, "But he's in charge of the military."

"The fact is, the generals on the ground are in charge, and he works closely with them and the president," Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said.

Oh, I see. The Generals are running the show. You know, silly me for thinking that the military serves at the discretion of the civilian leadership as it has for the previous 200 plus year existence of these here United States. Boehner is, of course, full of shit but in the Bush cult of personality, the Dear Leader and his able lieutenants are infallible. If anyone in the Administration is held accountable for anything, the world will spin off its axis or something.

Look, if I tell someone to bake a cake but give them a bad recipe, half the ingredients, and a broken oven, that cake is going to suck. There are certain requirements for baking a good cake that are not being fulfilled. So, is it my fault for making unrealistic demands or is it the baker’s fault for failing to execute under impossible circumstances?

It was Rumsfeld’s plan and his failure. Boehner tried to provide cover for the SecDef and used the troops as the excuse. The fact that he had the balls to blame Iraq on the soldiers is just astonishing. I think Wolf was stunned that the self-righteous weasel would go that far. In politics, troops in the field are sacred and never, ever overtly blamed for the failure of a war plan. Boehner, asshole that he is, crossed that line.

Now, it will be interesting to see if Boehner’s remarks generate the equivalent firestorm as John Kerry’s dumb statement? FWIW – I doubt it. Because it does not count if you are a Republican.

High stakes

From USAToday, Thursday’s required reading.

For us, Iraq's impending failure is an embarrassment. For the Iraqis - and other Arabs - it's a disaster the dimensions of which they do not yet comprehend. They're gleeful at the prospect of America's humiliation. But it's their tragedy, not ours.

Iraq was the Arab world's last chance to board the train to modernity, to give the region a future, not just a bitter past. The violence staining Baghdad's streets with gore isn't only a symptom of the Iraqi government's incompetence, but of the comprehensive inability of the Arab world to progress in any sphere of organized human endeavor. We are witnessing the collapse of a civilization. All those who rooted for Iraq to fail are going to be chastened by what follows.

Iraq still deserves one last chance - as long as we don't confuse deadly stubbornness and perseverance. If, at this late hour, Iraqis in decisive numbers prove willing to fight for their own freedom and a constitutional government, we should be willing to remain for a generation. If they continue to revel in fratricidal slaughter, we must leave.

Unconscionable

Because President “Stay the course” Bush wussed out in the face of a hapless and helpless Iraqi government, we have abandoned the search for a missing American soldier in Sadr City. But remember, Democrats are the ones not supporting the troops.

What an asshole…

News flash - John Kerry says something dumb

Was it inevitable that John Kerry would say something stupid before the election?

Yes – the “I voted for it before I voted against it” remark must rank in the top 10 dumbest things said in politics in a decade. Quite a feat when six of those ten featured the master of malapropism, George Bush his own bad self.

Do I think that Kerry really meant that our military is full of morons?

No – I can’t believe that Kerry, a smart man with bad judgment, holds our troops in such low regard. He wore the uniform for goodness sake. I also believe his excuse that he botched a joke about Bush. Especially considering the text of the speech has been released. More importantly, Kerry has all of the humor of a funeral dirge and all of the mirth of Dick Cheney. Telling jokes is not his forte. I would have been amazed if he actually pulled it off.

Was it inevitable that Bush and the Republican noise machine would hang Kerry for this?

Yes – Someone with a killer instinct as honed as Karl Rove must have jumped out of his Oxfords when he heard that comment. Of course they would attack. In fact, it would have been political malpractice to let this slide. The GOP is down by half a dozen runs in the bottom of the ninth. They needed a spark and Kerry hung a curveball over the plate. They had to swing.

Will Kerry’s gaffe or apology make a difference?

No – the damage is done. The R’s will run on this “controversy” as far as it will take them. They get to talk about something other than their performance. On the plus side, I think the impact will be minimal. Anyone who thinks a decorated war hero would call soldiers dumb is not going to vote on the Democrats side anyway.

Closing strong

Rasmussen has a new survey up and it has all kinds of good news for the Democrats.

In October, just 31.5% of Americans considered themselves Republicans. That’s a startling decline of nearly six percentage points from 37.2% two years ago. It’s also down nearly a full point from last month.
Democrats have also lost a little ground since October 2004. Today, 37.7% identify themselves as Democrats, down a point from 38.7% on the eve of Election 2004.

However, Democrats now have a 6.2 percentage point advantage over the GOP, their largest recorded over the past 34 months. In October 2004, the Democrats advantage was a miniscule 1.5 percentage points.

These results are based upon tracking surveys of 15,000 adults per month. The margin of sampling error is less than one percentage point, with a 95% level of confidence. Please keep in mind that figures reported in this article are for all adults, not Likely Voters. Republicans typically do a bit better among Likely Voters (in fact, the two parties ended up even among those who showed up to vote in 2004).

It’s worth noting that the three best months for the Democrats have been the last three. They enjoyed a 5.3 point advantage in August and a 4.8 point advantage in September. Other than that, their advantage has not topped the 4.0 mark since January 2004.

This is about Iraq, Katrina, the corruption scandals, a compete abandonment of fiscal responsibility, and most of all, Bush. With his approval rating mired in the mid to high 30’s, the President is radioactive. And God knows, the man has earned it.

I love Charlie Rangel

The recent spat between Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) and Dick Cheney (R-Armageddon) has been all over the news. Rangel called Cheney, rather appropriately, a son of a bitch. Republicans and the media got the vapors over such course language. Thus began the tempest in a teapot.

In an interview about the incident yesterday, Rangel was asked if he was concerned about Cheney’s mental health. His reply (and I am paraphrasing here), “Well, the Vice President has not shot anyone in the face in a while, so I am giving him the benefit of the doubt”.

Game. Set. Match.